North by Northwest (1959)

Directed by the notorious Alfred Hitchcock this perfect example of a thriller has many elements of suspense that make this film one of the most talked about thrillers ever made.

The film is about one man, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) how he is caught up in a web of mystery and hidden conspiracies. He is mistaken for an unknown man called George Kaplin and must escape the dangerous and notorious Vandamm (James Mason). Thornhill tries to clear his name but his search for answers makes his life more in jeopardy as the story continues.

The film was released on 22nd of November 1959 in the UK and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Ernest Lehman. This well known film has been subject to many Pastiches from TV shows such as "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy."

"North by Northwest" is a particularly effective thriller that instills suspense into the audience by making them ask "Will he clear his name?" and "How will he escape?" The endless action endured by Carrie Grant gives a fast-paced and terrible experience for both the audience and the the character Roger Thornhill. The imaginative, elaborate and exotic ways of being assassinated highlights the terror and suspense dealt out by the character Vandamm which symbolises his power and status in the film. Alfred Hitchcock uses a special device called a "Maguffin"or "A magnificent nothing." This is a prop or plot device that drives the film but has no real significance. In this case the Maguffin used is what i referred as a reel f film that is extremely valuable to Vandamm and his associates but the audience is not told what it contains.